The dirty truth about litter

Americans produce about 250 million tons of trash each year. Much of that is ending up as litter. It's dirty, bad for the environment, and costly.

This is a problem we can solve in our very own community.

One of the most obvious reasons we shouldn't litter is, it's ugly. Do you want to live in a neighborhood full of trash? Neither do I, and neither do most people. Fewer people will want to live in our town if we continue on the path we are headed. So take pride in where you live.

Litter is also killing animals and polluting our groundwater. Some animals mistake litter for food or materials for building nests. This can be fatal as they choke on the litter we produce. This can even pollute the water we drink, especially for the people who use wells. Imagine the impact we could have on our environment if instead of throwing our garbage carelessly on the ground, we found a recycling or trash can.

Finally, litter can even cost us money. It costs residents, the state and federal government millions of dollars trying to stop littering. From picking it up, to preventing it, to reversing the effects of it, litter is costing money. We could save ourselves and our government money if we didn't litter in the first place.

So go out and pick up some litter, and find a garbage can when you need to throw something out. This will help Greencastle be cleaner, more eco-friendly, and save more money! Every bit makes a difference that could help our community change for the better.